The Kenshingumi in Soul Society
by Zothar
Summary: A (soon to be) series of one-shots of different characters from Rurouni Kenshin if they happened to find themselves in the Bleach Universe. Few to no pairings, will try to avoid OOC-ness as much as possible. (Btw, if anyone can think up a better title, please tell me)
1. A Ninja's Duel

Soi-fon let out a slow, deliberate breath, being careful not to disturb the air around her hiding spot. She had been motionless for almost an hour now, watching her target as he meditated. The temperature had dropped a bit, but she shrugged off the discomfort. It was a small price to pay for her level of stealth. Breathing in, she slowly exhaled once more, blinking once to moisten her eyes. Her target never moved.

Omaeda had told her of a powerful being in the 39th district, although being Omaeda, she had her doubts as to this man's strength. However, when three of her lower-seated ninjas failed to return from the observation mission, her interest had been piqued. Sending higher ranking ninjas resulted in more of the same, until she was forced to take the mission upon herself to cut her losses. It had taken her longer than she had expected to find the man; for being someone so powerful, his reiatsu was almost completely hidden.

He was tall, standing over most in her squad, and thin. His deep blue jumpsuit was covered with a light covered trench coat, and a large sheath was secured over his back. His black hair hung down just over his face; though she had yet to get a better look as he had kept his back to her position. The shack he was staying in hardly counted as a house; rather, it looked as if he had simply stopped there a short time before continuing to wander.

Soi-fon breathed again, allowing herself to blink once more as she continued to sit. The man had literally done nothing besides meditate the entire time she had been there. If this was the level of difficulty that had proved too challenging for some of her most experienced ninjas, her group obviously wasn't as trained as she thought. She closed her eyes, this time out of pure frustration, before opening them again.

He was gone.

Panic coursed through Soi-Fon as her eyes began to search the immediate area. Her eyes had been closed for no longer than a second, and unless he could use shunpo, there was no way he could have moved so quickly…

"Your irritation was as loud as an eagle's scream," a cold monotone voiced behind her. Spinning, the captain found herself staring at the stranger, no more than three feet away. His face was long and would have appeared youthful, had it not been for the ice-blue eyes that glared at her. Despite her reputation and pride, she felt herself shudder at the stare. There was nothing behind those eyes but darkness.

"If you wish to spy on me, then I will add your body to those of your comrades," he said, his voice utterly calm. From each end of his sheath, he pulled a kodachi, holding them in a battle-ready stance. Before she could make an argument, he lunged.

"Kaiten Kenbu, Rokuren!"

Soi-Fon could have sworn on her life that, at that moment, there were six blades arcing towards her neck. A quick use of shunpo backwards saved her life as her attackers blades sliced through the air. He glared up at her, undeterred, and lunged once more. She glared, drawing her own blade.

"Jinteki Shakusetsu!" she shouted, as the sword transformed on her arm. Her attacker paused for a moment, surprise written across his face. Soi-Fon smirked; he had obviously never seen a zanpaktu released before. Racing towards him, she struck out, ready to land two successive strikes and end this threat once and for all…

Except that her blade went right through an illusion. Soi-Fon's eyes grew and she glanced around quickly. All around her, circling, were flashing, vapor-like images of the stranger. Recklessly, almost spasmodically, she began to lunge at and attack each, but to no avail.

"Fool," she growled, glaring at whatever image happened to be in her vision. "Do you believe that you can escape from me? I am faster than any of the Gotei 13; Squad 2 captain Soi-Fon!" She lunged again, catching a glimpse of metal in the watery images. Her blade was blocked by a kodachi, and the stranger materialized in front of her.

"It is no matter," he responded, his voice calm as ever. "I have battled against the god of speed himself; yours is no match."

"You claim to be faster than me?" she asked incredulously.

"I am not. But he was," he replied. Before she could respond, he had disappeared again, the images flowing around her once more as the voice continued.

"It is not my speed which keeps you from attacking me. It is the constantly changing speed which confuses your mind and slows your blade. You cannot strike me. This is the power of Ryūsui no Ugoki."

Soi-Fon's temper rose, a growl forming in her throat. "Maggot! I will show you the true power of a Gotei 13 captain!" she shouted, using shunpo to launch her into the sky. "Jakuhō Raikōben!"

As the familiar bankai materialized on her arm, she inwardly smirked in disgust. To think that she would be forced to use her wretched bankai against a single opponent, and so quickly! She took aim and fired before her opponent could change tactics.

The explosion rocked the area, sending Soi-Fon flying a good distance from the battle. As her sword returned to its shakai form, she quickly shunpo'd back to where her target had been. A crater greeted her vision as she approached, though there was no immediate body to be seen. As she landed on the ground, a voice spoke from behind her.

"An impressive attack, the likes of which I don't believe I've ever seen."

The stranger stood, tattered and bloodied but still strong. Soi-Fon readied herself for an attack, but the man simply sheathed his blades.

"In my current condition, I am no longer a match for your speed. The fight is yours," he conceded, bowing his head slightly.

The captain watched him for a moment longer before relaxing. _Someone of his skill could be useful…_ "Do you know of the Soul Society?"

"I do not," he answered simply. His piercing eyes continued to bore into her.

"Look it up." She said flippantly, before turning and starting away. After a few feet she stopped, turning to face him again. "You never did state your name."

There was a pause before the man answered.

"It is Aoshi. Aoshi Shinomori."


	2. 4th Seat for the 11th

A loud _thump_ echoed throughout the barracks as yet another dent was put into the training room's walls. Sanosuke Sagara slumped down, the wind leaving his lungs from the impact. Even so, the smile on his face never waned; if anything, it grew just slightly as he glanced up at the man who had hit him.

"Not too bad; but you're crazy if you think I'm going down that easily," he grunted, pushing himself to his feet once more. "Come on. I'm still standing."

The man across from him scoffed, the smirk on his face widening a tad. "You really don't know when to quit, do you Sagara?" he asked, a bit of light reflecting off his bald head. A wooden bokken was slung lazily over his shoulder as he studied the wiry man before him.

Sano rolled his neck and shoulders, feeling a couple of the joints pop as he loosened himself up again. "Are you kidding? The fight is just starting to get good. Don't count me out just yet, Ikkaku."

Again he charged, and again the two clashed. Sano, bare-handed, dodged or shrugged off the multiple blows Ikkaku landed; the third seat, for his part, managed to avoid the brunt of the taller man's wild swings. Those that hit, however, he certainly felt.

The bokken came down hard on Sano's head, and he took a step back to steady himself. Ikkaku took his chance and stabbed, the tip of the wooden sword connecting with his opponent's forehead. Sano flew backwards into the wall once more, a trickle of blood making its way down between his eyes.

Ikkaku stopped, slinging the weapon over his shoulder once more as he smirked down at the unmoving man. "You finally decided to call it quits? Or did I scramble your brains too badly to make a conscious decision?"

A soft chuckle came from the downed man, replacing the smug look on Ikkaku's face with one of surprise. "There was someone who mentioned scrambled brains to me once. I knocked him on his ass," he said, his expressions a cross between grin and grimace. "Besides, I've been informed by a doctor that I most likely have no brains to scramble, so I don't think you have anything to worry about." As he finished speaking, he stood to his feet, dropping into a fighting stance once more. "Time to take this fight a bit more seriously."

"A bit more seriously, huh? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me," the third seat responded. Walking a short distance, he picked up an empty sheath before facing his opponent. "Let's see how you do against my normal fighting style."

_Two swords, huh? Looks like I'll have to do something about that…_ Sano thought as he grinned at the challenge.

Ikkaku charged, swinging the blades in rapid succession. Sano dodged the first, shrugging off the sheath's blow to his shoulder as he readied his right fist. As the bokken came around again, he swung.

"Futae no Kiwami!"

The middle of the blade instantly vaporized, and Ikkaku's eyes widened in shock. Sano took advantage of his momentary pause, landing a hard punch between the bald man's eyes and sending him backwards into the opposite wall. Sano grinned; the fight wasn't over, not by a long shot. But now he had managed to knock his opponent down; no mean feat with Ikkaku.

"What's the matter? Taking a nap down there?" he asked as the third seat raised his head. "I told ya I'd knock you on your ass."

"Heh. Not too bad, punk," Ikkaku responded, picking himself up. Discarding the broken blade, he faced Sano again. "I'll have to watch that right hand more carefully next time."

Both entered into their sparring positions once more, ready to continue their fight. The opening of the training room door, however, interrupted them. Captain Zaraki Kenpachi entered, glancing around at the division. Immediately the rest of the room bowed, and Sano could almost smell the fear in the air. He smirked. The only ones who remained standing were him, Ikkaku, and the pretty boy Yumichika. The pink haired lieutenant popped up over her captain's shoulder, smiling.

"Hey, rooster-chan! Nice fight!" she called, waving. Kenpachi simply stared at them with a bored expression.

"You came in with the new recruits, right?" he finally asked, looking at Sano, who nodded. Kenpachi smirked. "Welcome to the eleventh. Looks like you're gonna be our new 4th seat."

Sano blinked, surprised at the immediate promotion, before bowing his head respectfully. "Yes, captain."

Kenpachi only gave a non-committal grunt, turning and striding from the room. Sano stood in a daze for a bit, still surprised with the honor.

"Well well, someone finally decided to take the seat. It is fitting, too, that such and ugly number be occupied by such and ugly man," Yumichika commented, waiving his hand around airily.

Sano turned, a vein popping out of his forehead. "What did you just call me, you prissy little peacock?"

A bokken smacked him in the side of his head, spinning him around and knocking him to the ground. Ikkaku stood above him again, pointing his weapon at Sano.

"You shouldn't turn your back when you're battling someone, idiot," he jeered as Sano got back to his feet.

"Thanks for the reminder," the wiry man replied sarcastically. Both got into their fighting positions once more, and once more both charged.

By the end of the day, there wasn't a undented wall in the eleventh squad's training room.


	3. The Shopkeeper and the Assassin

The clash of steel rang in the air as the fighters met again, circling and pushing against the other's strength. In the blink of an eye they separated, each pausing to catch his breath. Though a fair distance beneath the floor of the obscure shop, the room still felt warm. From the corner, Yoruichi Shihouin watched closely, a slight look of concern clouding her face.

Urahara Kisuke straightened first, peering out from under his hat. "My my, but this is senseless, don't you agree?"

The other swordsman stood more slowly, his violet eyes glaring from under his long red hair. "No, Urahara-san. Senseless was once again putting children into danger without letting them know the full weight of their actions." Again he rushed forward, unsheathing his sword at a blinding speed to attack his opponent. Again the metallic clash rang out, as Urahara slowly circled backwards, away from his opponents attacks.

"If they had any idea the kind of danger you have put them in, they would have never volunteered! Did you learn nothing from last time?" the swordsman shouted.

Urahara stepped back, and both swordsmen paused once more. "Last time we won," he said airily, smiling. Still, Yoruichi saw that he gripped Benihime tightly.

"Last time you got lucky!" the swordsman snapped. "Urahara-san, I realize that the threat we face is very great. But this one cannot sit idly by and allow you to manipulate these young ones any longer."

"It is already done."

"Undo it. This one will be patient."

Urahara's eyes glinted from under his hat. Whipping out a fan, he held it in front of his face. "And if I choose not to, Himura?"

Kenshin Himura bowed his head, staying still for so long that Yoruichi thought he might have started meditating. When he glance up, however, she immediately tensed. Yellow eyes glared savagely at the shopkeeper from a face that somehow looked years younger.

"You will," the man's voice growled, deeper than before, "If not willingly, then from your grave."

The attack came faster than Yoruichi anticipated. A blur of red streaked towards Urahara, meeting Benihime sharply. Urahara's return swing seemed to be in slow motion as the Battousai nimbly dodged it, spinning into a slash that connected at the base of his opponent's neck. The blond man was sent flying into the wall of the shop's basement.

Yoruichi smirked slightly. She had been able to see the last-second use of his personal gigai to trick his opponent, though just barely. He was getting faster at it. Her smile fell, however, when she noticed that the redhead was ignoring said gigai completely and glaring towards the corner the real Urahara was sitting in.

"A very realistic doll, Kisuke? I have been fooled by such things in life. I will not fall for such a trick now."

Urahara peered out from under his hat once more, stepping into the light. "My, but that was impressive. I don't believe anyone has been able to deduce that particular trick so quickly before. Now, are you sure there isn't any chance of us talking this out?"

The Battousai glared. "None," he growled, lunging for the shopkeeper once more. Blades crashed as Urahara was driven back, more forcefully this time as the Battousai pushed his attack.

Yoruichi shifted slightly. She knew her friend didn't wish to release his sword in such a small and enclosed space, particularly under his shop and against an opponent who had yet to even master shunpo. However, the Battousai reminded her of Zaraki; neither needed shunpo to keep up with most of the captains. They were fast enough on their own.

Finally, a single misstep by Urahara caused a moment's hesitation. The reversed blade of the Rurouni met him square in the chest, sending him into another wall with a thud. Figuring that enough was enough, Yoruichi jumped out in front of the already advancing Battousai.

"Kenshin, that's enough," she said sharply. The man glared at her, sending a chill down her spine. No matter how many times she saw him like this, the eyes of a soulless killer still unnerved her.

"You're in the way."

"Snap out of it, Himura," she said again, keeping her voice strong. Even if she was faster than him, he had an uncanny ability to predict even the quickest movements. His blade was simply a variable she didn't want to have to account for; better to avoid a fight entirely. "Think about Kauru."

This finally caused the swordsman to pause. For a moment, he appeared to be wrestling with himself, before violently punching his fist into his face. When he looked up once more, she was relieved to see violet eyes looking at her again.

"Thank you, Yoruichi-dono," he said softly. "This one is grateful for your intervention." Glancing at the now-standing Urahara, he added "This one is also sorry for the damage I may have caused, that I am."

"Ah, no, no, don't let it bother you," Urahara said, waving his fan before his face. "I'll fix it up in no time; nothing to trouble yourself about at all."

Kenshin nodded, still looking a bit distant. "This one has shopping to do now, that he does. I will return when I have food, that I will."

After he left, Yoruichi glared at Urahara. "It probably wasn't the smartest decision to provoke him so much. Especially if you have no intention of releasing your sword."

"His strength is certainly higher than I had anticipated; especially for someone who never went through the academy. Oh well, live and learn," he said light-heartedly. A grimace flashed over his face. "He did seem to get me pretty good there at the end, didn't he? Oh well, a few cracked ribs never slowed me down!"

"Of course not," Yoruichi said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to go talk to him. Let's see if we can avoid another encounter like this, okay?"

"Ah, yes, very good," her friend said, lost in thought. Yoruichi shook her head; who knew what was going through the madman's head now. With a flash, she vanished to find the Rurouni.


End file.
